


Room For It

by bonespell



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Drowning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Near-death Experiences, almost, anyways this is for mel’s bday!!!, but it’s right so i’m taking it, hope you love this!!, it’s not a fun time, i’m lov you, legend and sky get stuck in a cave!!, mel!! you learned to read so here’s a fic!!!!, near-drowning, not quite, that’s not a tag, they open up and Talk About Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26817637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonespell/pseuds/bonespell
Summary: “You alright, Sky?” He asks softly. His voice is mostly solid again, and Sky’s glad for it.“Does it ever stop hurting?” He blurts, and then mentally kicks himself for it. Why did he say that? Legend doesn’t need his burdens, he’d just finished having a breakdown over his own…“No,” Legend replies, quiet as Sky has ever heard him. “You just make room for it.”
Relationships: Legend & Sky (Linked Universe)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 119





	Room For It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meme_lissa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meme_lissa/gifts).



> mel birthday mel birthday mel birthday mel birthda

“...Sky?” Legend calls, feeling around in the darkness. “Sky, say something.”

“Mmm,” Sky says, face down on the stone. He hears a quiet curse and some rocks moving, before a hand is on his arm. Legend pulls him into a sitting position, and does the _most_ Legend this he can in that moment, and starts cursing about someone or other being an idiot as he carefully feels around for injuries on Sky.

“I’m alright,” Sky says, grabbing Legend’s hands when they pass over his face yet again. “Few scrapes. Nothing serious. Used my sailcloth to break my fall. You?”

“I think,” Legend declares, “I broke a rib. Maybe three. Other than that? Great!”

Sky would shove his face in his palms if he wasn’t worried about dropping Legend’s hands and losing him in the darkness.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sky insists on staying hand in hand, and Legend halfheartedly protests. At least he’s coherent enough to be him. They did find a spare red potion that hadn’t shattered in Legend’s bag, and he had claimed it made him feel better, and Sky’s inclined to believe him (no matter how bad about hiding injuries Legend tends to be.)

Sky feels Legend’s head land on his shoulder. He won’t say a word about it if Legend won’t, so he makes sure he doesn’t bodily react. Instead, he feels Legend take a deep breath, and then say, “Do you think they know where we are?”

“They would, wouldn’t they?” Sky replies. “Time saw us fall, I think. Surely they’re trying to get to us. We just have to stay put.”

“If they don’t-”

“No ifs, Legend. They’re gonna find us, okay?”

“...Okay.”

Sky wants to do his affectionately-dubbed-mom-thing and tell Legend just how he knows they’re going to be okay, but he feels like it wouldn’t come off appreciated. Legend’s and his personalities have never really blended well, and Sky used to think Legend outright disliked him.

He knows Legend doesn’t, but he has his doubts sometimes. He doubts about everything, so how can anyone blame him?

Sky rubs circles into his hand in the dark. He’ll be there, if Legend needs him. He always has been.

The roof high above them shakes. “Sky? Legend?”

“We’re here!” Legend shouts. “We’re fine!”

The cave shakes again, and Sky hears a suspicious noise that sounds quite like liquid, and then something is destroyed behind him. The cave shakes again, and Sky decides to disregard anything and turn around, grabbing Legend as tight as possible.

“Hold on,” Sky says, and Legend just nods as the roaring becomes louder. He’s shaking, almost imperceptibly. Sky locks his arms around Legend, knowing it won’t be enough, but _goddess_ damnit if he’s not going to _try-_

The wall of water hits them like something solid, and everything is lost to roaring.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sky hits a rock just as his air runs out and grabs on, clinging to it. He lost Legend, _he lost Legend where is Legend-_

“Sky!” comes a shout, a yell, something that, if Sky didn’t know better he’d call a _cry_. “Sky!”

“Legend?” Sky shouts back, pulling himself further up. He hears scrabbling, and then he’s grabbed by the elbows and _pulled_.

Sky falls directly on top of Legend, but instead of being shoved off, Legend stays where he is, breathing quickly. Sky gets up and finds Legend’s hands again, pressing one to his chest.

“You can feel my breathing?” Sky asks gently. “Try to match it, Legend. You’re okay. We’re safe. I know you don’t like water, for some reason, but we’re okay. Promise. Swear on the hero’s spirit.”

Legend’s breathing intentionally slows, but he doesn’t calm down. Sky doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable by hugging him, so when he offers gently, he’s surprised by the hitch in Legend’s breath and then the cold body hitting him dead in the chest.

_Hylia, he’s cold,_ Sky thinks, just as Legend reaches into his bag and pulls out a lantern. Suddenly, they can see, and Sky frowns.

Legend’s eyes are red, and he has visible tear tracks. He’s still shaking, and Sky offers him the hug once again. Legend accepts with less ferocity, and Sky rubs his back, looking for an alternative. The water is lapping at his knees against the rock, now. They have to keep going.

The cave shakes again. Sky covers Legend’s head with his hands, knowing it’s the others. He wonders if they realise the danger they’re putting him and Legend in. If this cave comes down or these rocks move, they’re done for.

“Legend, we have to move,” Sky says gently. He notices Legend is missing both boots and his hat, and he wonders where they went and if they’re recoverable. He himself is missing a few items and layers.

Sky pulls himself up to the next rock, and offers Legend a hand. They climb like that for a while, until the dark water is far below them and they’re close to the top, but sheltered under a slab. The rocks from the ceiling are (hopefully) avoidable, and Sky sits Legend with his back to the wall, hoping it’ll ground him. 

“Do you wanna tell me what’s going on?” Sky asks quietly, reaching out to grab his hand again, even if they have light now.

“I-” Legend begins, taking real deep breaths and wiping at his eyes. “I was in a shipwreck once. Nearly died. Didn’t. It was… an adventure. None of it was real. Floated on the ocean for hours…”

Sky can’t _imagine_ what that would even be like, so he simply nods and offers Legend the mostly-dry sailcloth. Legend wraps it around his shoulders, and stares off into the darkness. The cave shakes again.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sky is thinking about everything. He thinks of everything Legend’s been through. That’s _his_ fault. If he had done his job better… killed Demise before he cursed the spirit… Legend could have been entirely normal. The others, too. Wild never would have _died_ . Time could have had a _childhood_.

Sky takes a deep, halted breath, and he feels Legend shift beside him.

“You alright, Sky?” He asks softly. His voice is mostly solid again, and Sky’s glad for it.

“Does it ever stop hurting?” He blurts, and then mentally kicks himself for it. Why did he say that? Legend doesn’t need his burdens, he’d just finished having a breakdown over his own…

“No,” Legend replies, quiet as Sky has ever heard him. “You just make room for it.”

“It’s my fault,” Sky says. “That you had to be a hero. I didn’t kill Demise fast enough, and he cursed the spirit to reincarnation-”

“Sky. That does _not_ sound like your fault.”

“But it is, I could have-”

“ _Sky_. I never had a choice - and neither did you. We’re kids, Sky. You think we were prepared and trained? Fuck no. We were thrown into this. All of us. We did our best. You did your best.”

“How can you say that? You wouldn’t even be in this situation or _any others_ you’ve ever been in if I hadn’t _fucked_ everything up!”

Sky watches Legend’s physical shock reaction to his cursing. Sky, as a general rule, never curses. He doesn’t like to and wasn’t raised to. Sometimes, though… 

“I never would have met anyone I love if Demise had died faster,” Legend suggests. “There’s good in my life, too. You all are good in my life, you know?”

Sky is _shocked_ to hear Legend say something borderline _affectionate_. It’s out of character for him, but Sky appreciates it nonetheless. He wipes his eyes on his sleeve. Legend offers him a damp handkerchief.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sky jerks awake to Legend’s yelling. The water is almost at their feet, and there’s a small opening.

“Get on my shoulders, and then pull me up,” Legend says, and Sky agrees blindly. He’s out of it, but Legend seems to have a plan, and he’s boosted up through the hole. Twilight pulls him up almost singlehandedly, and Legend tosses his stuff up - everything except for his bomb bag.

“Legend!” Sky shouts, leaning back over the hill.

“Go!” Legend yells up, loud enough for the group. Sky’s sailcloth is still around his shoulders. “I’m gonna blow this cave - you guys won’t get out in time otherwise! I know where we are!” 

Looking around, he’s _right_ \- they’re in a ditch, and the rain is coming down heavy, and if Legend blows the water source he’ll be _flooded_ but the others will have _time_ and _wouldn’t Sky do it too?_

In a heartbeat, Sky knows. He would - but he can’t let Legend die for him.

“No!” Sky yells, and then someone grabs him around the middle and pulls. The others jump out of the ditch. They’re all somber and upset and more than one of them is crying- Hyrule is fighting to go back- Warriors is pulling at his hair, tears in his eyes- Wind is sobbing- but he’s going to save them. They’re going to live.

Time pulls Sky away from the edge, and the ditch caves in. Sky can’t hear himself screaming.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


There’s a flash of red fabric.

Wind’s response is instant - he drops his weapons and dives in like a swan. He’s an _incredibly_ strong swimmer, and he dives under, and collectively the world is holding its breath for its hero.

Wind comes up, holding Legend’s head above the water as he paddles back with the unconscious hero. Warriors pulls them both out of the new lake, and Hyrule slams his hands down on Legend’s chest as soon as he’s laid flat down.

They stare in anticipation as Hyrule keeps trying and trying and trying and only when a yellow glow accompanies the compressions does Legend sit up straight, coughing and looking around wildly.

Sky helps prop him up, and Legend’s gaze locks on him for a moment as he looks down.

“I lost it,” He mumbles. “The sailcloth. I… I’m sorry… I know how important it was.”

“Legend,” Sky asks, nearly hysterical. “You think I care about a piece of clothing more than you? Your _life_?”

Legend doesn’t look up.

“No,” Sky whispers. “You mean so much more to me. Swear on the hero’s spirit.”

Legend lays his head on Sky’s shoulder. It’s gentle and tentative, but Sky wraps his arm around Legend’s back in return.

They’re okay.

**Author's Note:**

> mel!! now that you can read, how did you like your fic?? i love you!!!


End file.
